By Rachel Querry
November, 2002—Despite gloomy forecasts, dawn breaks along
Norway's famed Western coast with crisp, clear skies. The
magnificent fjords that draw tourists and cruise ships all
summer are peaceful on this early November morning, as the long
Norwegian winter begins to settle in.
On this morning, a small group of people have gathered in
Halsa for one of Norway's most carefully guarded secrets this
season—Keiko's move to his new winter home. A few reporters are
here, along with Keiko's two caretakers and officials from The
Humane Society of the United States, including President and
CEO Paul G. Irwin. We've all come to witness the next step in
Keiko's amazing odyssey to freedom.
We gather on the Kompass, the boat chartered by the Keiko
Project to accompany the orca on his daily "walks" into the
Norwegian Sea. The boat has served as a base for project staff
since Keiko surprised the world by surfacing in a Norwegian
fjord in early September.
Keiko's arrival in Norway was greeted with delight from
local children and the area's businesses, which experienced a
huge influx of tourists, some who came from around the world to
visit the orca made famous in the Free Willy films. The
initial frenzy has since died down, mostly because of the cold
weather and because the Norwegian government established rules
against touching or approaching Keiko.
Still, Keiko Project staff knew the orca needed a more
suitable winter home than the random fjord into which he swam.
For over a month, project staff and Norwegian officials have
been scouting potential sites for Keiko. They settled on an
area not far away—and still in Halsa, a community of nearly
2,000 people located about 200 miles north of Oslo.
The new location in Taknes Bay has several advantages,
project staff say. It's somewhat protected from the strong
winds along the coast, they say, and the water's too deep to
freeze, even in the most extreme air temperatures. The bay's
also less accessible to the public, and it's frequented by wild
orcas and herring during the winter months.
The migration of wild orcas through the area is important.
This summer, Keiko spent nearly 60 days in the waters of the
North Atlantic, interacting with wild whales and foraging for
food. Project staff hope that by putting Keiko in the right
environment, he'll once again behave as a wild whale.
Returning Keiko to the wild, after all, remains the goal of
the project. Never before has a long-term captive orca been
successfully returned to the wild. Animal protection advocates
argue that these animals should not be held in captivity in the
first place, and every effort should be made to return them to
the open ocean. Moving On Out
Word has quickly spread that Keiko is moving today to his
winter home. If we don't leave soon, we'll soon be followed by
a flotilla of boats with television crews and photographers
eager to capture the dramatic moment.
The captain of the Kompass, one of the most experienced
cruise ship captains in Norway, starts the engine, and we
slowly pull away from the dock. By using hand signals and
throwing herring into the water, Keiko's caretakers urge him to
follow the boat.
Since Keiko's "walks" are the high point of his day, he
willingly follows alongside the boat. Most of the time, Keiko
is visible just under the surface of the water on the starboard
side of the boat. He knows this is where he may get a fish.
Every minute or so Keiko comes up for air, and occasionally he
dives deep under the water. Several times, Keiko disappears for
minutes on end as he explores his surroundings.
Keiko's companions onboard Kompass are awed by the sight of
this beautiful whale breaking the surface of the clear water.
Some gather on deck, and others chat with the captain or enjoy
a warm cup of coffee. Keiko's caretakers advise us to avoid
interacting with the orca, and we're reminded that the ultimate
goal of this project is to eliminate Keiko's contacts with
humans and boats.
After about two hours and 30 pounds of herring, we arrive at
Taknes Bay. The deep, clear waters are surrounded by towering
mountains. A tiny island shields the bay and provides a natural
boundary for the area. A small farm hugs the coast. The family
who owns this property has fixed up an abandoned house for the
project staff. They even have a surprise for us—a handpainted
sign that reads, "Velkommen til Taknes, Keiko."
"Welcome to Taknes, Keiko."
As those onboard the Kompass are ferried to land, Keiko
swims alongside the smaller boat as if to say farewell to those
who have joined him for the journey.
Too Popular for His Own Good?
While Keiko clearly retains his celebrity status, all of the
attention he receives from humans may be setting back the
efforts to return him to the wild.
That's the challenge facing Colin Baird, who heads up the
Keiko Project staff in Norway. While the interest in Keiko
focuses attention on the plight of captive marine mammals, all
the interactions between Keiko and humans in Norway could have
set him back. Will Keiko once again forage on his own and
travel with wild whales as he did this summer? No one can
answer that question yet. His experiences this winter as the
wild orcas return will be yet another lesson learned from this
reintroduction endeavor—and not just a lesson about Keiko.
As The HSUS's Paul Irwin says, "The Keiko Project is not
about one animal. It's a research project designed to tell us
whether we can return a long-term captive marine mammal to the
wild. What we are learning from Keiko's amazing odyssey will
help other animals."
Taknes Bay may be a brief stop along the way, or it may be
the orca's home for years to come. The choice is Keiko's to
make. After all, isn't that what being free really means?
You can support Keiko:
Donate to
the Keiko Project.
Rachel Querry is Deputy Director
of Media Relations for The HSUS.
